Bill seeks to relieve victims of abusers' legal fees
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — An obscure Kentucky law now requires victims of domestic violence to pay the legal fees of their abusive spouses in divorce proceedings when their abusers are in jail.
A state Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill Thursday to eliminate that provision.
Jeanette McCue said she faced such a predicament.
She said her husband beat her and put a gun to her head. When she filed for divorce, she found out she'd have to pay for her husband's attorney because he was in prison, serving time for the abuse. McCue says finding that out was "a smack in the face."
The bill would require the state to pay legal costs of abusers in such divorce cases.
The bill's lead sponsor is Democratic Sen. Morgan McGarvey of Louisville.